Review of At the Torch from the theatre dance and drama in Wales web site

At the Torch

Torch Theatre- Who's Afraid of Rachel Roberts? , Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold , May 16, 2012

You think that public female bad behaviour and language is a recent phenomenon? You've obviously never met Rachel Roberts. She it was who had to be dragged off the Russell Harty chat show, live on air, hopelessly and chaotically drunk. She also crawled up to Robert Mitcham at a party, on all fours and barking like a dog.

However this minister's daughter from Llanelli was also one of the most exciting actresses of her generation. I never saw her on stage but I can't forget her burning sexuality in the Lindsay Anderson film, This Sporting Life.

It all finally got to be too much. Alcohol and pills ended her tormented life in 1980 and it's the memory haunted hours leading up to that overdose that we share. The highest compliment I can pay to the play is that, although written by Helen Griffin and Dave Ainsworth, it doesn't seem to be written at all. Thanks to Helen Griffin's totally convincing and electrifying solo performance we seem to simply hear Rachel Roberts' voice through her own words. Often it's not a comfortable sharing. There's the language for a start. Roberts was not genteel to put it mildly and coarseness is flung at us from the start, frequently to very funny effect.

Then there are those (many) moments that you want to slap her and tell her to pull herself together. Not that I would have ever wanted to try it, perceived fools were never suffered gladly.

There are quiet moments in the play. At one point Helen Griffin does something very subtle with her eyes and body language and there's the young Rachel being incredibly successful in a school play.

But you never know, as you wouldn't have with the real woman, just when anger, mockery or inappropriate vulgarity is going to burst out again.

There's a wonderful account of just how her ”fairy tale” marriage to Rex Harrison fed her self destructive impulses. She clearly adored him, even after they parted, yet she did so much to steer the relationship and her career into massive metaphorical car crashes.

Peter Doran's direction allows for a lot of movement around the set, but all of it is character driven, only flashy when Roberts herself is posturing. Holly Pigott's set is perfect, white walls with lots of cupboards which produce memory inducing props whenever they are called for, even if there's been nothing inside them a moment before.

But it's Helen Griffin's show. Prowling, drinking, staggering, being coquettish, rude, or empty, she makes us feel the danger and vulnerability of being in close proximity to the volatile, dangerous actress who could and should have been a star.

She also made me feel that I once more need to see just how good an actress Rachel Roberts was and seek out some of her films, especially This Sporting Life.

Reviewed by: Victor Hallett

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There are 81 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:

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At the Torch- reviewed by Victor Hallett (09 June 2011)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (15 December 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (11 October 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Tim Barrett (19 August 2010)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (13 August 2009)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (04 August 2009)
At the Torch- reviewed by Adam Somerset (26 April 2009)
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At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (04 December 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (25 October 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (20 July 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (09 March 2006)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters, The Stage (16 February 2006)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Terry Johnson, The Stage (15 October 2005)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Emma Jones, Western Telegraph (21 October 2004)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Graham Williams (10 March 2004)
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At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (10 February 2003)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Jenny Hanson, Tenby Observer (05 February 2003)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Viv Stoddart, The Stage (06 December 2002)
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At the Torch- reviewed by ANDREW DAVIES, TENBY OBSERVER (06 December 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Assorted Edinburgh papers (02 August 2002)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Michael Kelligan (09 March 2002)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Viv Stoddart, The Stage (21 February 2002)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Keith Johnson, Western Telegaph (13 February 2002)
At the Torch- reviewed by Tenby Observer (07 December 2001)
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At the Torch- reviewed by Janet Bott (07 December 2001)
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At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (11 September 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (09 August 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Victoria Cooper (10 March 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Elaine Atack (03 March 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Rebecca Nesvett (28 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Vivien Stoddart (The Stage) (15 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (14 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by Ron Waters (08 February 2001)
At the Torch- reviewed by David Adams (21 October 2000)

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